Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Romans 12:1 (NIV)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
The lord doesn’t just want things from you-He wants you. His desire is not merely for you to make sacrifices, but for you to be fully surrendered for His use.
This means it’s not just your external acts that need to be put on the altar today. It is not just your tithe, a particular habit, or some treasured object. Your heart-in fact, everything about you–is the sacrifice your heavenly Father requires.
Remember, the Lord says, “I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6). The word for loyalty is the Hebrew word chesed, and it can be translated as love, goodness, kindness, and faithfulness. It is love that expresses itself through a godly life and has its root in a relationship with the Father. This is a word closely associated with the character of God, and that’s the point—He wants you to reflect His character (Romans 8:29)
God wants His spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control to flow through you (Galatians 5:22-23). To Him, that is always far more important than outward sacrifices.
Jesus, I am Yours. Teach me to surrender myself to You fully. Amen.
Excerpted from God’s Purpose for Your Life (365 Devotions) Charles F. Stanley
